380 Simmons, The Louisiana Clapper Rail. [juiy 



The eggs varied from "quite pale with large markings to beauti- 

 fully marked specimens with large and small markings and quite 

 dark." 



VIII. Voice. 



The voice of the Clapper Rail is peculiar indeed, its loud, harsh 

 cackling resembling that of a Guinea fowl or the sound produced 

 by some automatic toys. This harsh cackling might be likened 

 to the sound of: chack-chack-chack-chack-chack-chack-chack-chack, 

 rapidly repeated. This call is usually heard about the break of 

 day and again about dusk; sometimes, however, it is heard during 

 the day time or at night, though rarely. 



On Bolivar Peninsula Mr. Pope says that he could always tell 

 when a "norther" was due by the clatter of the Rails, as they 

 invariably heralded its approach several hours before its arrival. 



During the mating season in March, at which time they con- 

 gregate in small flocks, Mr. Pope says that the birds became very 

 noisy, especially late in the afternoon and about dusk. At the 

 start of the nesting season, however, they quieted down. 



While I was examining nest No. 2 the parent bird now and then 

 uttered a note which resembled the keck of the Red-winged Black- 

 bird. 



At times during the early part of the breeding season I have 

 stopped to watch adult Rails which appeared very ill at ease. The 

 note uttered under these conditions is a hoarse grunting noise 

 sounding like bruck or gruck. 



The newly hatched young have a constant, but very faint 

 twitter, and a note reminding me, as stated before, of the cheap of 

 a tiny domestic chick. 



IX. Food. 



The food of the Clapper Rails consists of small crabs, slugs, 

 snails, aquatic insects, grasshoppers, and occasionally a few seeds. 



Mr. Farley writes me that the food of the Rails in the vicinity of 

 Harbor Island consists of "insects and shells, which they find in 

 the marsh, and the moss of the salt beach." 



Mr. Pope's notes on the food and feeding habits are especially 



